Purifier for steam-boilers.



H. H. RALPH.

PURIFIER FOR STEAM BOILERS.

APPLICATION FILED lum/1o. 191s.

' 1,25%@ Patented Feb. 12,1918.

MIOR/VEY narran sfrarns rairnnr onirica.

HARRY H. RALPH, GF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PURIFIER FOR STEAM-BOILERS.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HARRY H. RALPH, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Purifiers for Steam-Boilers, of which the following is a specification, the present invention being an improvement upon the apparatus described and claimed in United States Letters Patent granted to me under date of December 8, 1914, and numbered 1,120,405, and United States Letters HPatent granted to me under date of November' 16, 1915, and numbered 1,160,651.

The purifiers for steam boilers set forth in the above mentioned patents, while prov-` ing generally satisfactory in use, have demonstrated the practicability of making certain changes to render the same more eiiicient and commercially valuable.

The principal object of the present invention is to overcome certain disadvantageous features present in the apparatus dis? closed 1n my aforesaid patents and provide improved apparatus wherein certain `new and novel arrangements and combinations of parts are embodied for effecting a more eiiicient, practical and commercially valuable purifier for steam boilers. A .further object ofthe present invention is to provide apparatus of this character wherein boiler incrusting solids are precipitated by the application of sufficiently high temperature and whereby any floating solids are arrested to prevent egress to the boiler` interior.

@ther and further objects of the presentinveution reside in the providing of such details of construction as will hereinafter appear.

The invention Iconsists. of the improvements hereinafter described and finally claimed.

The nature, characteristic features "and scope of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a view partly inelevation and partly in section of the purifier embodying the invention;

Fig. -2 is a top or planview thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view in cross-section of a steam boiler equipped with the purifier of the invention; andl Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary views illus- Specification of Letters Patent.

,understood that the horizontal. tubular boiler Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

Application filed July 10, 1916. Serial No. 108,527.

trating details of construction hereinafter referred to.

0 For the purpose of illustrating my invent1on,.I have shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Y In the drawings, 1 ,designates an ordinary contained within which is the feed-water purilier 2 of the invention. AAs shown, the purifier consists of a number of hanged sections a, I), c, d and e bolted together as at 3, to form a casing. The number of sections is immaterial. Leading tothe purifier 2 from a pump, `not shown, is a feed-water inlet connection 4. The inlet connection 4, see Fig. 2, is spaced apart from and extends entirely around the purifier 2 at the top thereof and connects with the inlet section cz of the purifier as shown. This connection 4 is provided with a funnel-like member 5 which member is equipped with a check valve 6 of the inwardly opening type and of any desired make. The opposite end of the purifier 2, that is section e, has leading therefrom a pipe 7 which may be connected with the valved blow-olf (not shown) of the boiler l. Adjacent the upper part of section a, of the purifier and upon each side thereof are openings or ports S and 9. Leading from these ports are horizontally disposed pipes 10 each of which terminates in a vertical section 11 which extends below the water level in the boiler l. Each pipe 10 is provided with an inwardly opening check valve 10', of any desired form, which valves as shown in Fig. 3 are located at ooints beyond the connections of pipes 12. etween the check valves 10 and the ports 8-9 each pipe 10 has connected therewith a depending pipe 12. The pipes 12 in turn terminate in horizontal sections 13 which parallel the puriiier casing in a plane therebelow each section 13 being provided with a check valve 14 which opens outwardly. Connecting with each of these horizontal sections 13 are a series of pipe connections l5 arranged to extend downwardly through the boiler l to ing 17; and immediately' forward of ports 8-9 is a vertically disposed baflle Plate 18 which extends from the top of said section to within a short distance of the bottom thereof and preferably formed integral with said section. Extended at right angles from the hack of said balfle plate, substantially midwayv of the height of said section a, is a horizontally disposed baffle plate 19 preferably formed integral with said-baliie plate and 'sa-id, section. Secured Within adjacent Sections b and 0- and preferably formed integral therewith are horizontally disposed baffle plates 20 arranged in the same plane as the baffle plate 19 and which in effect are continuations of they latter. baffle plates form a somewhat T-shaped construction. Obviously, the number of purifiersections*havingl therein baffle plates is immaterial. rllhe advantages of suchV ar-'l rangement of baflies will be explained in connection with the operation of the purifier to be presently described. Bolted between sections c-cl of the purifieris a plate 21. This plate hasopenings 22 and 23 near the top and bottom thereof respectively, to allow' of the freepassage of watei' therethrough but is provided with a central web 2l which-'a-buts against and forms a tight joint with the horizontal? baille plate 20 of sectionc. A horizontal grating 25 is placed within the last sections d-e ofthe purifier at a level lower than the horizontalbaflie plates of the other sections. This grating comprises a plate having openings therethrough and' is provided with beveled sides and is of.Y a length equal to sections cli-e. Y ln praetice,the grating is fitted Within said sections so that the beveled sides arel supported? upon the inclined walls of sections tl'we'.. End plate 26 maintains the grating in ,abutting positiony with the web'of plate 2hA Qf'cOiirse, it' will be understood that thev grating may be of such size asV to. fit

within one or'moresections of a purifier acj cording to conditions under which a purifier is working. Removably seated upon the preferably constructed of wire mesh. Such basket or cake in. cross-section is shaped to itsnug-ly within the rear sections (Z-e as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 and is of a length equal to the grating 25.1 Thus the cage is securely clamped between the plates 21 andv26. In practice, this cake islilled with a suitable filtering material as quartz 4 sand. Experience has dictated that good results areobtainable by yconstructing thecage in a manner as shown in Figs. el and 5. The

former ligure illustrates the inner and the` The combined 25 is a perforatevbasket or cage28' outer end of the cage the wire mesh is secured to tlie inner circumference of a ringlike member 31. .The cage thus constructed 'is filled withthe filtering material' and a flanged plate32 provided withv a handle 33 is fitted within said member 31 and bolted,

riveted or otherwise secured in position as shown in Fig. 5'. A filtering cagetlius con-V structed may be readily inserted throughjV the rear sections ofthe purifier; Straps 3l, see Fig. 3, are secured to the boiler topfor supporting the lfeed connection 4.-- At the saine time the straps support the purifier as a whole. This construction forms mea-ns forr suspending the purifier within the boilerin a rapid', cheap and efficient manner.

In practice it is endeavoredrto keep the water line within the boiler l-,feven-,With the" funnel-like Vmember '5 so that thewater outlet openings or ports *8-#9 are consequentlyV below the water line, and it may` -be here remarked that normally' pressure A.

within; the purifier is slightly in excess of pressure within the-boiler. Infeeding raw' water which usually contains silica, oXid or iron and alumina7 lime and magnesia to the purifier 2, it first impinges against the-'baffleplate 18 and the sediment inv theV water, caused by'A the partial precipitation Vof the above solids as they pass through the heated inlet pipe Ll is directed to the-(bottom Vof the purifier which sediment tends to settle Vwithin the chamber 35 that extends along theV base thereof. vIn tliiseonnection the baflles 201 serve to furtherV direct sediment toward the chamber 35 during theiagitation ofwater` whichoccurs at the inlet endV of the purifier; ln introducing water within the.

purifier, the baffles 20-tend to cause itto flow toward vthe extremeI outerend of the purifier.l VThe water then, in.` order to: find` iio its'way` vout of thexpurifier through ports Y j 8-9 is forced to pass through opening 23"l in plate 2l and rise through the filter and.

thencebaclr through. opening 22 alongv the iisV 7 upper chamber 361 of tliepurier to. the` ports 8-9 whence it escapes to theboilerl:

In rising through theufilter"any'V solids, that have not Ybeen depositedv iny the lower chain-V f i ber 35 and particularly those solidsfwhich;

fioat will be Varrested by' the, filter;A The water will find itsway.-A to the boiler through pipes 10, l2, 13. and 15.. Tliesej pipesfalso serve to permitthe escape of air which may:Y enter the purifier vwith the feed: water.

The abovedescribed arrangement' of parts permits of. a gentle flow. of feedwater within thefpurifier and also servesfto `permit ofi-a maximum amount of precipitation'of solids,

due to. the great ,heating surface ofpipe- 4 before delivery of water to the boiler. It is to be noted that the pipes 15 may be eX- tended, if desired, to what is termed dead points particularly in marine and locomotive boilers, in order to increase circulation therein. Further the filter arrests any floating solids so that the water passing to the boiler is to all intents and purposes free of solids of all kinds. rl`hus scum and the like in the boiler is eliminated so that certain of the skimmers or funnel-like members shown in my former patents may be dispensed with.

It is thoughtthat the operation of blowing off"7 the boiler will be understood by reference to my aforesaid patents without detailed description thereofl herein, but'it should be noted that when the blow-off valve is opened, water enters the purifier through pipes ll past the inwardly opening check valves l0 and passes through the filter above the battles 20 and downward through the filter, thus causing the filter to be cleansed of any solids which are then blown out through the blow-off pipe 7 by the water which enters the pipe 4 through the funnel-like member 5 past inwardly opening check valve 6 and which water washes out any solids that may have been deposited in the pipe l and in the bottom chamber S5. It should also be noted that during the blow-off operation the check valves 14 are closed so that the water in the boiler cannot be sucked back into the purifier.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the in-Vv vention and the above description and while l have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What l claim is:

l. Apparatus of the character stated embracing a casing the inlet end of which is provided with a vertically disposed baffle plate and the blow end of which'is provided with a filter cage having a closed inner end, a horizontally disposedA baiie plate interposed between saidV vertical baliie plate and the clcsed end of said cage, inlet and blow-ofi' connectionsfor the casing, means for feeding purifier water to the boiler, and independent means for the admission Vof boiler water to the purifier upon opposite sides of said baffle plates and cage.

2. Apparatus of the character stated embracing a casing the inlet end of which is provided with a vertically disposed baf'lie plate and the blow-ofi end of which is provided with a filter cage having a closed inner end, a horizontally disposed baflie plate interposed between said vertical baffle plate and the closed end of said cage, a feed water connection extended around the casing provided with a boiler water intake which connection establishes communication with the casing upon one side of said baffle plate and cage, means for feeding purifier water to the boiler from the opposite side of said baflie plates and cage and similarly located means for the admission of boiler water to the purifier. i

3. Apparatus of the character stated embracing a casing the inlet end of which is provided with a vertically disposed baffle plate and the blow-ofil end of which is provided with a filter cage having a closed inner end, a horizontally disposed baffle plate interposed between said vertical baffle plate and the closed end of said cage, a feed water connection establishing communication with the casing upon one side of the baffle plates and cage, a boiler water intake for said connection operative during a blow-olf pen riod, a blow-off connection, means for feeding purifier water to the boiler from the opposite 'side of said baflie plates and cage, mediums therefor for preventing ingress of boiler water, independent means for admission of boiler water to the purifier above the horizontal baflie plate and case and during a blow-off period and mediums therefor for preventing escape of purifier water during normal working conditions.

t. Apparatus of the character stated, embracing a casing the inlet end of which is provided with a vertically disposed baffle plate and the blow-od end of which is provided with a filter cage, having a closed inner end, a horizontally disposed baffle plate interposed between the vertical baffle plate and said closed end of the cage, a feed 11o water connection establishing communication with said casing upon one side of baflie plates and cage, a blow-off connection, means at the inlet end of the casing and upon the opposite side of said baffle plates 115 and cage for feeding purifier water to a boiler, and means similarly located for the admission of boiler water to the purifier.

5. Apparatus of the character stated enibracing a casing made up of a series of sec- 120 tions, a plate having top and bottom water passages, therethrough secured between adjacent sections, a grating fitted within at least one section beyond said plate, a filter cage seated upon said grating having its in- 125 ner end in abutting relation with the unapertured portion of said plate, a baffle plate extended forwardly of the casing from said unapertured portion of the plate and inlet and blow-off connections for` the casing. 130

"6. Apparatus of the character stated embracing` acasing having inlet and blow-ott' connections, a substantially vertically` disposed baille plate at the inlet end of the casin a substantially vertically disposed parfrom the casing interposed betweensaid par Yit.y

tton and the, blow-off .end of the casing, whereby the; casi'ngrisprovided substantially from; end to, endl with superimposed cham`-Y bers.

Copies of this" patentV may beobtainedfor 7. Apparatus as described in claim 6, Y

characterized by means'. connecting the uppermost chamber for the egress of; purifier:

Water.

8'.` Apparatus asv described. in clairns-16iandA 7T, characterized., by independent 1neanscon nesting with the uppermost chamber for the admissionV thereto of boiler Water.

In testimony whereof, KI' have hereuntoy signed my naines` i lVtnesses:

YWILLIAM; J., JACKSQN7 M. BIENE.

ve. cents each,rby addressing-'the Commissioner of Patents,

WashingtonJ), 6.. t Y

' HARRY H. 

